As discussed earlier in this chapter, microblog posts are different from letters, memos, and email in that they are often extremely brief and quite informal in tone. Usually, you do not revise microblog posts extensively. You just proofread and send them. However, the fact that microblog posts are fast and informal does not mean that anything goes. When you write microblog posts, you are creating communication that will be archived and that will reflect on you and your organization. In addition, anything you write is subject to the same laws and regulations that pertain to all other kinds of documents. Many of the guidelines for following netiquette apply to microblog posts as well as email. Take care, especially, not to flame. Become familiar with your microblog’s privacy settings, and be aware of which groups of readers may view and share your posts. The best way to understand your responsibilities when you write a microblog post at work is to study your organization’s guidelines. Sometimes, these guidelines are part of the organization’s guidelines for all business practices or all digital communication. Sometimes, they are treated separately. Figure 14.14 shows one company’s microblogging guidelines.
Note that some of these “best practices” apply only to the use of a public microblogging site such as Twitter, whereas others refer to all sites, public or private. Figure 14.14 Guidelines for Microblogging Used by permission of Xerox Corporation.
Representing Your Organization on a Microblog If you use a microblog at work to communicate with people outside your own organization, such as vendors and customers, you want to use it in such a way that people are encouraged to like, respect, and trust you. These ten suggestions can help.
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